The Israeli military said it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen towards Israel in the early hours of Sunday, with sirens activated in several parts of the country.

A spokesperson for Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement said in a statement several hours later that the group had fired a ballistic missile at central Israel’s Jaffa area.

Israel has threatened the Houthi movement - which has been attacking Israel in what it says is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza - with a naval and air blockade if its attacks on Israel persist.

Since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis, who control most of Yemen, have been firing at Israel and at shipping in the Red Sea, disrupting global trade.

Most of the dozens of missiles and drones they have launched have been intercepted or fallen short. Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes.